Padres To Release Edinson Rincon

The Padres announced (via Twitter) that they have requested unconditional release waivers on infielder Edinson Rincon, who had been designated for assignment last week. His DFA was necessary to create roster space for Yasmani Grandal, who had been serving a 50-game suspension.

Rincon, 22, suffered an injury in minor league spring training camp and has not appeared in a game this season. In six seasons in the Padres' farm system, Rincon hit .285/.355/.422 in total 484 games. The infielder has never advanced beyond Double-A.

Rincon ranked ninth among Padres prospects prior to the 2010 season according to Baseball America, but fell to 16th pre-2011 and 19th pre-2012. He did not appear on the team's top 30 list this season. BA praised his ability to control the strike zone, work the count and ability to hit breaking balls. However, his defense was questioned heavily, and BA believed that he was destined to end up as a first baseman due to his lack of speed and poor hands.